Electronic systems, such as, for example, computers include IC (integrated circuit) devices or IC chips that generate heat during operation. With the advent of VLSI (very large scale integration) technology, the heat generation of IC devices has increased significantly with every new generation. As a result, the semiconductor industry is facing the problem of fast removal of heat from IC devices and from electronic systems that use these devices. While the problem of heat removal from IC devices is an old one, it has gained prominence in recent years due to increasing numbers of transistors that are packed into a single IC device while reducing the physical size of the device. Increasing number of transistors compacted into a smaller area results in a greater concentration of heat that must be removed from that smaller area. Heat must be removed from these IC devices in order to keep the devices within their safe operating temperatures. Historically, heat sinks with associated fans have been used to remove heat from the IC devices of computers. However, as heat generation of IC devices and cooling requirements of computers increase, liquid cooling solutions are being adopted to keep device temperatures and fan noise within acceptable levels.
Liquid cooling systems circulate a liquid coolant in a closed loop to transfer heat from heat-generating electronic devices to the ambient air. The liquid cooling system circulates a liquid through a heat sink or a heat transfer module attached to one or more electronic devices of the electronic system. As the liquid passes through the heat sink, heat is transferred from a hot IC device to the cooler liquid. The hot liquid then moves out to a radiator positioned in the electronic system (such as, for example, at the back of the computer case or console) to transfers the heat to ambient air. The cooled liquid then travels back through the system to the IC device to continue the process. A liquid cooling system, typically includes components, such as, one or more heat sinks (or heat transfer modules) to transfer heat from the IC devices to the coolant, one or more radiators or heat exchangers to dissipate heat from the coolant, a pump to circulate the coolant within the system, a reservoir to hold a sufficient quantity of the coolant, and tubing to fluidly couple the different components. To accommodate these components, liquid cooling systems typically require a relatively large amount of space within the console. Therefore, liquid cooling systems have more commonly been used in servers and relatively large desktop computer systems where space is not a constraint. Applying a liquid cooling system to space-constrained systems (such as, smaller desktops, notebook computers, and other small electronic systems), is however, challenging.
Furthermore, liquid cooling systems require a significant level of technical knowledge to install. Since the layout of IC devices within the console of an electronic system varies widely, a liquid cooling system typically has to be custom-fitted within a console. That is, tubes must be cut and routed to direct the coolant to different IC devices while making use of the available space within the console. This need for custom routing increases the likelihood of improper installation of the cooling system that could result in leakage of the coolant within the console. Coolant leaks may cause catastrophic damage to IC devices.
The disclosed liquid cooling systems are directed at overcoming these and/or other shortcomings in existing technology.